Save Energy and Water

The days of abundant, cheap energy and seemingly endless supplies of clean water are over. At the same time, demand for energy and water continues to grow. The solution to these crises requires that everyone make small and not-so-small lifestyle changes. Collectively, we can work to ensure that these precious resources are conserved.

Save Energy

In the House

Get a home energy survey/auditNYSERDA (see link at right) or your local gas or electric utility offer the service, sometimes for free. There are many incentives that will help you pay for recommended improvements.

Insulate
Uninsulated or under-insulated attics and walls lose tremendous amounts of heat. Add extra insulation if your attic has R-19 or less (equal to 6" fiberglass or about 5.5" cellulose). New York State building code currently requires R-38 in attics (12" fiberglass or approximately 11" cellulose).

Invest now in renewables and energy conservation
Substantial federal tax credits may be available for renewable energy systems and energy-related home improvements, including photovoltaic systems, residential wind turbines and heat pumps. Certain hybrid and electric vehicles also may qualify. Use the link on the right to the Energy Star website to check eligibility requirements.

Turn off lights and unplug appliances when not in use
"Vampire electronics"-TVs, DVD players, computers, monitors, cell phone chargers and other electronic appliances-use energy even when turned off and in "sleep" or "standby" mode. Plugging related electronics into one power switch and shutting it down when they're not in use makes saving energy easier.

Deck the halls and your tree with LEDs
LED holiday lights consume 1/10 to 1/3 the energy of traditional lights, last a long time (~20,000 hrs.), are hard to break (no filament), and cool to the touch. The initial cost may be higher, but payback is quick thanks to the energy and replacement savings.

Heating and Cooling

Have your heating system cleaned and tuned
Oil-fired systems should be cleaned and tuned every year; gas-fired systems every three years. Regular maintenance increases your system's lifespan, reduces heating costs and lowers particulate and CO2 emissions.

Going on vacation? Turn your water heater down to "Vacation" setting
No sense keeping 40+ gallons at 120 degrees or more when no one's around. Leave yourself a note to remember to turn it back up when you return. 120 degrees is adequate for most purpose. Hotter water is necessary only if your automatic dishwasher lacks a pre-heat function.

Have your tank flushed once a year, or carefully do it yourself. Mineral sediment can significantly reduce the amount of hot water available.

Insulate older water tank. If your tank feels warm to the touch, you may benefit from adding a fiberglass wrap. Be sure to check the tank's or manufacturer's information for any restrictions regarding a wrap.

Replace the anode rod every 5 to 10 years to extend the life of your water tank.

Lower your thermostat by 10 degrees when you're asleep or at work
In an eight-hour period, you'll save 10% for every 10-degree setback. A programmable thermostat will do this for you automatically.

Heat (or supplement) with wood
When buying a cord of wood, be sure to get what you pay for. A full cord is four feet tall, four feet wide and eight feet long. A "face cord" is one-third of a cord. If you're buying wood by the truckload, measure the truck's bed volume (length x height x width) and divide it by 128 (the number of cubic feet in a cord).

Prepare and eat food outside during hot weather.

Keep cool in summer without A/Cs or fansClose windows and lower shades on hot, sunny days. Raise shades and open windows after dark to let in cool evening air. This strategy can result in indoor temps 20 degrees lower than outside. Another solution is to create natural shade by planting trumpet honeysuckle or American bittersweet near a west or south-facing wall, but be sure to provide a trellis or other support for them to climb. These native perennial vines are attractive and offer berries that birds enjoy.

Add vents and an attic fan to expel hot air.

Install attic or whole-house fan to draw up hot air and vent it outside at night. Use box fans in windows to bring cooler nighttime air inside.

Open windows on opposite sides of the house and turn on fans to maximize cross breezes. Face a fan outside to suck hot air from the house and face another fan inside to draw in cooler air.

Wear a water-soaked hand towel around your neck, and keep several more in the refrigerator.

Enjoy a cool shower before bedtime.

Spritz your skin with water mixed with a few drops of rubbing alcohol. Because alcohol evaporates faster than water, the cooling sensation is increased.

Place a bowl of ice in front of a fan, or drape a cold wet towel over a fan and sit in front of it.

Lose weight (fat is an insulator).

Appliances

Wash and rinse laundry in cold water
Even without using warm or hot water, your laundry will still be clean, and using cold water saves $60 annually in a typical household.

Dry laundry outside
Get that fresh scent for free, save up to $25 a month in electricity, and make your clothing, towels and bedding last longer. For relatively wrinkle-free clothes, put clothing on hangers on the clothesline. Throw line-dried towels in the dryer for five minutes to remove any stiffness.

Choose Energy Star®-rated appliances
When replacing high-consumption appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, clothes washers and dish washers, buy an energy-efficient model. To get information on rebates, credits and other incentives for all kinds of appliances and home improvements, use the link at the right to go to the Energy Star® site.

Cook for the week
Cook larger quantities of dinner and baked goods at one time to reduce oven use later in the week.

Use the proper temperature settings
Set your refrigerator between 38 and 42 degrees F. Set your freezer between 0 and 5 degrees F.

Get rid of your second refrigerator
If you have a second refrigerator that you use only occasionally, save energy by getting rid of it. When you have get-togethers, use coolers for "overflow" food and beverages.

Transportation

Keep your tires properly inflated
Check once a month in summer, more often in fall and winter. As the temperature drops, air contracts, reducing pressure. This results in lower mileage and increased tire wear. Under-inflation increases fuel consumption by up to 6%. Keep tires inflated to the recommended pressure, not the maximum pressure shown on the tire.

Use your bike for short trips
According to the Federal Highway Safety Commission, 40% of car trips are only two miles long or under. Using your bike for these short distances saves gas and cuts greenhouse gas emissions. Check Google maps for a safe route and don't forget your helmet.

Vacation by bicycle
Planning a vacation that enables you to bike, or drive and bike to your destination(s) will save fuel and provide exercise. Create an itinerary with the Parks and Trails New York Trailfinder, which makes it easy to plan a route and locate bicycle-friendly B&Bs along the way. See the link on the right side of this page.

The new reel mowers are light, good
for your grass and give off no green-
house gases or air pollutants

Lawn and Garden

Get a push mower
Powered lawn mowers use lots of gas and give off more greenhouse gases than a car. The new push mowers, also called reel mowers, are light (less than 20 lbs), and shear the grass rather than tearing it, which is healthier for the grass.

Save Water

In the House

Get a dual-flush toilet
There are two buttons: the one for solid waste releases only 1.6 gallons of water per flush, and the one for liquid waste releases only .8 gallon per flush.

Eliminate toilet leaks79% of water lost in the home is through toilet leaks. Often silent, these leaks can waste up to 300 gallons of water per day. If you pay for water, this can become expensive quickly. If your water is from a well, your pump will run more often, increasing your electric bill. Check for leak using food coloring. Replace refill valve or flush valve when necessary.

Repair water leaks quickly
Fix household leaks, and save both water and money. To detect and repair some common types of leaks, use the link in the right-hand column, WaterSense® Fixing Leaks Around the Home.

Switch to a front-loading washing machine
Also called horizontal axis washers, these use one-third to one quarter the water per load compared to a top-loading model. As an added benefit, the extremely fast final spin cycle leaves clothes drier saving energy too.

Use a low-flow showerhead
Almost a quarter of household water use is for showers. The newer low-flow showerheads give a satisfying shower while cutting water use in half.

Look for the WaterSense® label
Faucets, shower heads and toilets with this label save hundreds of gallons of water a year. Use the offsite link in the right column for more information.

Lawn and Garden

Use a soaker hose rather than a sprinkler
Water your garden beds with a soaker hose or drip irrigation system and you'll cut your garden water use in half. This method of watering delivers the water directly to the root zone where it's needed and keeps the leaves dry, cutting down on mold and mildew problems.

Use greywater on your landscapeWater recycled from showers, baths, sinks and washing machines is called greywater. Use greywater on trees, flowers and shrubs but not on vegetable gardens or lawns. Use it the same day you collect it. Don't use water from automatic dishwashers or wash water that has liquid fabric softener or bleach in it.

Water lawns wisely
According to the EPA, Americans use 7 billion gallons of water per day on their lawns. Lawns need only an inch of water a week. Use a rain gauge to determine how much you need to supplement what Mother Nature provides. Plant lawn alternatives like groundcover and wildflowers, or convert a section of lawn into a bed of drought-tolerant perennials and flowering shrubs.

Capture water in a rainbarrel
Rainbarrels catch the water from downspouts and rooftops and save it for use later. Add a fine mesh screen on top to prevent mosquitos from breeding in the water and to keep out debris. Drip irrigation or soaker hose systems (see above) can deliver the water to your garden. Rainwater also is ideal for houseplants as it doesn't contain chlorine or other chemicals found in municipal water supplies.

More about Save Energy and Water:

Electric Vehicles - The benefits of driving electric vehicles and the resources of consumer information.